School Day Blues
by Angel-Chan
Summary: In order to get to know the girl he likes, Takato will do anything... even wear a skirt and learn how to be a girl! Strange things are sure to happen to this poor boy! (Rukato! R&R! Pt. 6 up!)
1. I Hate My Life

"And I said--"   
  


"No way!"   
  


"Class... silence!"   
  


Everyone quit their chatting and turned to listen to the elder teacher. Mrs. Akino, a woman in her early forties, smiled meekly in return. She was still getting used to being in a school full of girls only. Like all schools, though, it had the popular kids (Kiyo Mino, Jami Jun, and Rei Umi), the 'nerds' (Miko Jan, Naomi Matsudera, Ustu Kikoi, Bunni Tenrio, Usagi Yue, Meiling Chun, and Hikaru Yume), the followers (Hitomi Maki, Janet Harrison, and Bev Karter), and a lone, stone-cold, I'll-kick-your-butt-if-you-even-look-at-me-wrong chick (Rika Nonaka).   
  


"We have a new student," she announced. While wondering what group this young child would be categorized under, she ushered her in. The child was rather cute....   
  


A girl, age ten, toddled in. A faint blush of embarrassment grew on her face as her almond eyes fell to the floor. Her hair was neat-- folded into a bun behind her head. Her uniform looked... brand new, freshly pressed and as if a rich family had ordered it. Still... her face showed no real signs of makeup, and she tugged on her skirt self-consciously. She couldn't have been rich.   
  


What. A. Fake.   
  


Giggles and whispers entered the air; rumors were already being made. Kiyo bent over to Bev to tell her something in hopes for it to spread. Bev was, and always had been, into gossip... and wasn't very good at keeping secrets, either. Whatever Kiyo told her would have spread like wildfire by lunch.   
  


Mrs. Akino turned from the board. It read "Teko Matsu." She said, "Please, class, be nice to Teko." Looking down at the girl, she pointed to the seat behind a certain fiery redhead. "Sit right back there-- behind Rika."   
  


Gulping, Teko walked down the isle. Her eyes darted to each girl in her seat... as if studying them. She paused slightly in front Rika's desk. With a somewhat squeaky voice, she muttered, "N-nice to meet you...."   
  


Rika snorted. It was just a waste of time trying to talk to her. With a harsh "humph," the 'hot head,' as many in her school called her, turned her attention to the window. Why bother-- she didn't give anyone the chance. And besides... it wasn't like anyone wanted to get to know her, anyway.   
  


At least... that was what she thought.   
  


School Day Blues 

Part One: I Hate My Life....   
  


"O-Okay... tell me again why I'm doing this?" inquired a young Takato Matsuki as he held up an article of clothing. Well... to be more precise, a skirt. He shivered. Good Lord... how he wanted to die right there!   
  


Henry chuckled evilly as Kazu and Kenta pulled out some more... interesting items. "You are the one who said, and I quote, 'It would be nice to get to know her better!'" the blue-haired boy insisted with a grin. "What better way to get to know her?" Oh yeah... AND embarrass yourself in front of quite a lot of people....   
  


Kenta dropped his 'weapons' and polished his glasses. Gotta be able to see, ya know! And Takato's face was priceless! A real Kodak moment, really!   
  


Kazu groaned. Why was he being such a... a baby! It wasn't that hard-- not at all! It wasn't like she was a teenager... you know, the ones that are more.... Kazu coughed and shook his head. Now was not the time to think of... things like that! "Really, now, Chumly!" he whined. "What have you got to lose?"   
  


"MY DIGNITY!"   
  


The three boys stopped, paused and thought. He had a good point. A man's pride was something that should not be tarnished. Still... was that a good enough excuse? Would it make them quit in their efforts?   
  


Not on his life. They advanced towards poor Takato.   
  


Oh, dear Lord.... They had lip gloss! And... was that...?"Guys... guys-- can't we negotiate? Talk? Do SOMETHING?!" Realizing that his plea had fallen onto deaf ears, Takato immediately dived beneath them. Hah! They had to catch him first! That meant that if he were able to get to the door....   
  


He didn't get any further-- Henry, Kazu and Kenta made sure of that. It was almost as if they had planned it out ahead of time. Well... either that, or... they were pretty observant.... "Guess what, Chumly!" Kazu crowed as they plopped down on top of the fleeing boy. Oh yeah! Dog pile! "We figured you'd try a stunt like this!"   
  


"GET OFFA ME!" God-- all he wanted to do was to go home and sleep, then go to his OWN school! Not this... anything but this.... Please... someone had to help him.... Besides... they were really heavy..... "You guys... weigh a ton...," he rasped through the shaggy bits of rug that had somehow made their way to his mouth.   
  


Henry sighed. Time to do this... the hard way. "Guys... get up. From what I see, Takato doesn't really want to do this." Why is that...? Well... there's a certain reason-- something besides the whole 'pride' thing.   
  


"Darn right!"   
  


Man... what would he have done if he were in Takato's shoes...? Probably... the same thing. Kenta mumbled: "Sorry... guess we just sorta... got carried away." With a groan, he helped Takato to his feet. Gee... now he felt... bad. Like he was gonna pay for torturing a friend of his.... He just didn't know when.   
  


It was time to initiate his... little plan. "You...," Henry whispered with a wink to Kazu, "must not care for Rika much, eh?" Now THIS ought to get him going.... And if it didn't, there were other ways....   
  


Ohh! He understood! Kazu held in a laugh and said, "Yeah! You must really hate her!" But really-- what's the true difference between love and hate? Not that he never felt either... 'course he had! It was just that he couldn't tell them apart at times!   
  


He... didn't get it. Why were they poking and teasing Takato about hating Rika? If he hated her, then why would they...? Kenta, feeling the need to agree, just nodded stupidly. Better to go along than to ask questions.   
  


"I... I don't.... It's just-- uh-- that I...." Why wouldn't they leave him alone?! He liked her-- so what? It wasn't like she wanted to like him, or anything! And with them saying stuff like that.... Ooh... was he turning red! He hated it when they embarrassed him like that! "Just shut up, okay?!"   
  


"Ooohhh! Touch-ie!"   
  


Time to ask him... but only if he was willing. If he still didn't want to, that wasn't a problem; someone else could do it! Just... as long as it wasn't him. Besides, he was the one to come up with the idea! Why should he do it?! Henry strode up to his friend and grinned. "Are you ready to go where no boy has ever gone before?"   
  


Was he...? Did he really want to go along with that stupid idea... just to learn about the girl of his dreams...? Wait-- no... she was more than that. She was someone he cared about.... Still... wearing a dress? In public? And what about the wig? What if the stupid thing fell off or something?!   
  


"Don't overdo it... as in no 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' understand?" Takato demanded. Another picture popped into his head. Oops! Can't forget about that one! "No 'Big Mama,' either!"   
  


"Hey-- you can trust us!" Kenta cracked. Just the thought of Takato dressed as 'Big Mama' made his insides want to burst. Good Lord! That would be hilarious! Then again... when Henry gave him that look.... Kenta felt a shiver crawl up his spine, and he hushed his mouth.   
  


Right... that was what he was afraid of.... Bye, bye pride... come back and visit. Adios dignity... don't stray too far....   
  


And what Takato was about to learn was... well, there's a LOT more to being a girl than looking like one....   
  


~*~   
  


"Dude-- I mean it! If I didn't know you were a guy, I'd ask you out!"   
  


Takato eyed his friend through the bangs of a brown wig. Luckily for him, it stuck tight to his head. But... why were they making such a big deal out of... his hair style?! All three boys sat around him with combs... hair spray... scrunchies... you get the picture. Let's just say that it was not a fun experience for a boy of his age.... I mean-- he barely knew anything about girls as it was!   
  


"Are you sure...?" Kenta asked unsurely. Was... was that how it was supposed to look?   
  


Henry glared at Kenta. As if he didn't know what he was doing! He had an older sister! Heck-- that was where he got most of those things! "Yes, I'm sure!" Geeze!   
  


"And now," Kazu exclaimed, "for the make-up!" Oh, yeah! He couldn't wait to see Takato wearing lipstick and eyeshadow and all that other crap girls slopped on their faces! Sure, it looked good on the girls, but as for Takato....   
  


"No! This is where I draw the line!" screamed Takato. Enough was enough! They could make him wear a skirt and a wig, and they could force him to go (in disguise) to an all-girl school.... But they could never, never, NEVER make him put on make-up! "NO!"   
  


Too bad... or, at least that was Kazu and Kenta's reasoning. Just as they prepared to tackle him, Henry sighed. He understood his friend on that part. "Guys-- stop. He doesn't have to wear the make-up...."   
  


"THANK YOU GOD!"   
  


"Aww... man!"   
  


"Darnit...."   
  


Slightly embarrassed by their reactions, Henry laughed. How did he become friends with these people...? Ooh... yeah. He forgot. Digimon.... He said, "Besides, these girls aren't that old! Do many girls at our school use it?"   
  


Kazu closed his eyes and thought for a moment. There were some... but he kept his mouth shut. Takato should be able to stay a little prideful.... Oh well. So much for his 'fun.' Darnit... and he could've turned into a full-fledged copy of that "Boy Meets World" episode... 'cept that he wouldn't try to dress up as one... Kenta or Henry could. Yeah....   
  


After Kenta shook his head, they all turned to the mirror. Their creation was... done! And the strange part about it was... Takato didn't look half bad! A little scared, but that was besides the point. Oh yeah... really bad mimic from "Boy Meets World."   
  


"Remind me... to kill you guys sometime," spat the now girl-looking Takato. Right now they could live, but when the time came... he'd get them.   
  


Well, now! That wasn't very ladylike! "Ah, ah, ah! The female species is much more proper!" After receiving a scowl, Henry went on: "They also have lighter, softer voices... Teko."   
  


What. Was. That? Did he hear right? "Oh, God... Henry? Is that my name?" Why didn't some lightening just suddenly strike the school or the house or something? Was it really worth it? Suddenly... he had a thought. What if Rika found out...? What would she do to him then? Oh my.... She'd SLAUGHTER him!   
  


"Teko Matsu-- yup, that's your name, Chumly!"   
  


Dear Lord... save him now. Don't wait and let him feel the foolishness and humility! "I," he muttered, "am REALLY gonna kill you guys...."   
  


"My, my! What a nasty young lady!" mocked Kazu as he snatched up a folding pack. "Here's your backpack... thing." What the heck was that? It looked like a briefcase! Weren't backpacks soft and... bigger? Gee... the stuff people put up with.   
  


Pushing Takato out the door (with various pleas shot out at them) they watched as he made his way to the school. His walk was a little off, but he would learn.... "Have fun, Teko!" they all howled, chuckling as he spun around and shook a fist. Like that scared them!   
  


Kazu pulled out a hanky and wept loudly... making it sound REALLY fake. "They... g-grow up SO fast...," he joked, suddenly falling over and laughing . It was funny for goodness sakes!   
  


As the others joined in, a chiming could be heard. They froze. No. Way. Was that...?   
  


"WE'RE LATE!!!"   
  


~*~   
  


Takato (as Teko) glanced out of the school's window. Man... girls got nice stuff.... Why didn't regular schools get the same perks? That sucked.   
  


Mrs. Akino droned on for a while about the history of Japan; most of the class was actually listening! Takato was surprised. Half of his school didn't even know how to add two plus two! Even the smart people couldn't be compared to the ones at schools like these! Geeze... he just wanted to take a nap.... No! If no one else was, then he couldn't! He had to learn how all those girls acted in order to fit in!   
  


RIIIINNNG!   
  


"Alright, class. That's enough of that for today!" Setting the book down, Mrs. Akino pulled out a gym bag and started to the door. Now... the fun began. "Time for gym!"   
  


Time stood still. Gym...? Did she say...? Oh, dear Lord... have mercy. If he had to participate, then that meant....   
  


He had to wear girly shorts.   
  


Right then, lightening would've done wonders.   
  


~*~   
  


A/N: Mwahahaha! I've always wanted to do something like this! The sad thing is... well, I am not that good when it comes to comedy, so bear with me. I hope to get at least a FEW reviews before I even attempt part two! And if I don't, well... I'll still write it. It doesn't matter to me. The only problems I'm having right now are: 1- What is Rika's school's name again??? 2- Should I keep the Digimon in this? I must say, try picturing 'Teko' and some friends walking around the park when all of a sudden-- "TAKATOMON!" Heh... that'd be funny. Anyway, I hope you like it! Ja ne, mina-chan!-Angel-Chan 


	2. Kick Ball of Doom

"Uhh.... What're you doing...?"   
  


Takato stopped his continuos head banging to look up. Geeze... his forehead probably had a huge red blotch on it.... "N... nothing," he muttered squeakily, grinning like he'd seen some girls do. He... he had to try and act... giddy. Good Lord, he had to be a... a--   
  


The blonde sighed, fixed her glasses and pointed to the door. "We've got gym now, remember?" Man... this new girl really had to get her butt in gear! What was her name again...? Teko, right? Heh... weird name.... Walking to the door, she said:   
  


"Look, I highly doubt you know where everything is yet, so let me show you."   
  


Thank God his wig was tightly attached to his head.... He didn't want to screw up his first day of school! "Th-Thanks!" he peeped, hopping out of his chair and toddling after his 'newfound friend.'   
  


"Hey, my name's Angela-- but everyone calls me Angel-Chan." Giving the girl a small side glance, an idea popped into Angel-Chan's head. Sure, she was one of the 'normal' kids in the classroom-- not too smart, not too popular-- and it would be cool if....   
  


Yes-- she'd do it! This new chick would be her own little project! Pretty soon, she'd be in with the popular kids, and this Teko girl would be there with her.... She felt a laughing fit burst from within her....   
  


Takato turned. The girl had just halted in the middle of an introduction.... "Ange--" he paused. Okay... THAT was weird.... Why was she just standing there... cackling?   
  


Never mind. Who cared? He could see that they were practically at the door to the dressing room anyway, so he just walked right in.   
  


"Mwahaha-- huh?" Angel-Chan blinked and spun around. "Teko? Where'd ya go?"   
  


School Day Blues 

Part Two: Kick Ball of Doom   
  


What a stupid idea! As soon as he entered, he felt himself heat up all over. There were girls in there! Partially-clothed girls! Giving a small 'eep,' the young cross-dresser sped into the nearest stall. WHAT had he been thinking?! Kazu, Kenta and Henry were gonna pay BIG TIME for this....   
  


"All right, girls! Hurry up!" Mrs. Akino's voice sounded as though it were outside the door... as it outside of the room.... So that meant that she was already dressed and either in the gym or on the field! All he had to do was get past the girls and....   
  


Be brave! Jamming his eyes shut, Takato burst from the stall and sped to the exit; along the way, he nearly tripped over a few of his classmates, thus getting some curses shot at him. A-HAH! The doorknob! Wrapping his fingers around it, he swung the door open... and got knocked over by rampaging feet.   
  


All the girls that were changing, well... were somehow done and ready to play! It wasn't like they MEANT to squash the new girl! Really-- it wasn't!   
  


"Sorry, Teko!" Kiyo said through a smirk; she got a glare in return. "I mean it! We didn't see you there!"   
  


Yeah... right. Like he believed that line of crap. Grumbling something unpleasant, he pushed himself up, brushed off his skirt and looked for Mrs. Akino.   
  


There she was! Standing over by a bag of what looked to be gym equipment! "Mrs. Akino!"   
  


What...? The teacher turned her head toward the voice. Oh... it was the new girl. A warm smile pervaded upon her lips. Perhaps she was having some problems fitting in.... It was normal, really. Wherever anyone went, they were bombarded with cruelness from at least one person! "Yes, Teko?"   
  


Oh, man! He hoped it would work! "Umm... since I don't have any clothes for gym, I was wondering if I--"   
  


"Ask one of the girls if you could borrow a pair of theirs." So innocent.... Almost scared! It was rare to see a girl her age act that way! "I usually make sure they have a couple sets with them."   
  


Takato wanted to fall forward and groan; he didn't, though, because he knew he'd be acting more like a guy-- which was what he was in real life! Jogging back to the locker room, the boy finally realized why many girls hated skirts....   
  


A small gust of wind blew right past him!   
  


Feeling the frail cloth get blown away, he instantly shoved his hands down. This created a... well, a very bad copy of a certain movie scene.... All the while, the girls (with their stupid girly shorts) giggled and mimicked his actions. Stupid skirts.... To think... girls actually WORE them....   
  


Just as he was about to walk into the room, the door slammed into his face; he went flying back into a mound of dirt! Really, now! Could his day get any worse?!   
  


From behind the door, Angela gulped. She'd just hit someone! But... who? Oh... no! Was it Mrs. Akino?! God-- she'd get it for sure, then! "I'm SO sorry!" she cried, moving around the door and bowing sincerely. It probably wouldn't help her any, but....   
  


"Ow-- Angel-Chan! That hurt!"   
  


The blond opened her eyes and looked down. Oops.... Oh well... at least it wasn't Mrs. Akino! Studying the brown haired 'girl,' she gasped. "Teko! Why aren't you dressed?!"   
  


Gee... that's JUST what he was gonna explain to her.... "I don't have anything TO change into...." And he hoped that no one had any extras, either....   
  


Was that all? "Hey, I have an spare in my locker!" Angel-Chan shoved her to the door. "It's number 105!" They looked about the same height and build-- it shouldn't be that bad of a fit! Giggling to herself, she ran off to the group. Yes... her plan was gonna work!   
  


It just had to!   
  


~*~   
  


Dear Lord.... Why? Why did he have to be tortured like so? What sin had he made that deserved such a punishment? Takato allowed himself to groan as he held up the shorts. Sure-- he wore shorts.... They didn't really bother him; in the summer time, that's mostly what he did wear. It was just that these ones were, well.... SHORT. S-h-o-r-t.   
  


That's... when he found her shirt. Okay-- he'd try to live with the shorts if he had to... but he would NOT wear that kind of shirt!!! What kind was it, you ask? Why... a sleeveless t-shirt with half of the bottom cut off. That meant... that he'd be exposing his stomach! Oh, God! Now... felt like a good time to bang his head off the lockers.   
  


And so he did.   
  


"Here."   
  


Takato felt something whack him upside the head; he yanked it off and took a good look at it. What...? Oh, WOW! A regular-- as in NOT cut-- t-shirt and sweat pants! A fountain of light seemed to be pouring down on the young lad. Turning to the voice, he squeaked out, "Thanks!" Then... he got a good look at the speaker.   
  


Rika groaned; her hands flew back behind her head to tighten her ponytail. "Don't get used to it-- I normally don't give out my clothes," she hissed. God... she hated gym, even if she WAS good at it.... It just... didn't hit her as interesting. She went on:   
  


"After seeing how the others treated you, I figured you'd be pretty bummed...." Man... she had to stop being so nice! Especially now-- there was no reason to! With the battle practically done and over with, she didn't have to see any one of them anymore! "It's not fun being new... and it looks to me like you hate those stupid shorts as much as I do."   
  


Laughing nervously, Takato tried his hardest not to blush. Let me tell you something... he didn't want to be thought as... something else-- if you get the picture. "I do.... They're just so...." He searched for a word within his vocabulary that would maybe win Rika's trust. Wait! That would work! He finished by saying: "Uncomfortable, kinky and just not my style. Give me a pair of good old jeans any day!"   
  


A small chuckle escaped the redhead's mouth. Maybe there was a possibility... that friendship could be found with this new girl. "Same here," she muttered. Walking to the door, she called, "See you on the field!" Then again, maybe not.... Still... she couldn't help but notice that... that this 'Teko' girl seemed awfully familiar....   
  


Waving, the young boy/girl/whatever grinned widely to himself. He had spoken to Rika! He had actually spoken to her, and she had acted like a regular person! YES! SCORE! He did a quick dance... then realized that he had yet to change.... Darnit.   
  


If this gym were anything like the one at his school... then he was in over his head.   
  


~*~   
  


"Today, class, we shall be playing the ever-popular 'kick ball.'" stated Mrs. Akino. Actually, it would be more like 'they play,' whilst she 'supervised.' "I highly doubt I have to tell you the rules, so I'll just say this: DON'T kill each other."   
  


"Yes, ma'am!" the crowd shot out.   
  


And so began gym. Kiyo and Meiling were team captains, thus evening out the 'populars' from the 'nerds.' Still... once they started choosing, they also began to bicker as well. You know... such things as "You take her!" and "Ah, I don't need her!" entered the air. Finally, after fighting about which team Teko (Takato, remember?) would be on, Meiling finally gave in. Kiyo, the spoiled brat that she was, always got her way... which meant that her team was up first....   
  


Takato glanced around. God... he hated kick ball-- he never was good at it. If that red, roundish object came hurtling toward his head... he'd be dead. This also meant that dodge ball was a very bad sport for him, too.   
  


"Move over to your right two paces, new girl!"   
  


Takato looked over to the voice. What the heck did that mean?! A black-haired girl glared at him; she held a small, calculator-like thing in one hand. "What did you say?" he asked dumbly.   
  


Wasn't the first time understandable? It wasn't like she talked with a lisp or anything! "Move two to your right!" hissed the girl with more impatience. Kiyo was about to kick! If she didn't move....   
  


Feeling slightly intimidated, he did as told. Let me tell you something-- that's not always a good thing.... Naomi sent the ball rolling... and Kiyo kicked it with all her might; she may have been spoiled, but she wasn't some weakling.... The worst part was that it went flying right towards Takato! With but a quick glance at the one who had informed him to move, the ball whammed right into his gut!   
  


Falling back onto his butt, the boy felt pain flood his body. O... kay. That had hit just SLIGHTLY below the belt.... And-- ouch-- he felt it. The thing was... well, he was supposed to be a GIRL.... So he merely grimaced, stood and held the rubber ball into the air.   
  


"OUT!"   
  


"YEAH! Great catch, Teko!"   
  


"You da GURL!"   
  


~*~   
  


Okay-- gym wasn't as bad as he thought. It was actually... kinda fun! Maybe it was just the way the schools did it.... If so, then he hated his old school even more.   
  


"Hey," called a girl with mauve hair, "Matsu! You're up!"   
  


Nodding nervously, Takato walked up to the plate. Dear Lord... he had to KICK. Remembering what had happened the last time he played kick ball, he shuddered. He... was going to make a fool of himself....   
  


Bev pitched fast; faster than Naomi, even! She let the ball fly from her hand. Wait.... Wait.... Now!   
  


Takato sent his foot forward. It made contact with the ball and... sent it flying up to smack his own face. With the stars twinkling over his eyes, he collapsed in a daze... yet still noticing all the people swarming around. Oh, God... they were snickering....   
  


He HAD made a fool of himself! Man! He just wanted to go home and cry! Sitting up, he sniffled lightly. At least he was ACTING like a girl probably would.... So stupid... he should've let the ball roll past him. Yeah, then he wouldn't--   
  


"What's that?"   
  


Everyone's eyes focused on the forming fog. Takato noticed Rika's violet eyes flash with excitement. It... couldn't be. Not now... no. Hadn't they stopped them from entering a while ago?! There was a sudden blur of yellow in the nearby trees. Renamon.   
  


Okay... good. Rika could handle it. He didn't have to go and blow his cover!   
  


"We'll have to finish this in the gym," Mrs. Akino announced, ushering the girls into the school; somehow, Rika had snuck around the teacher. She sped off in the direction where the Digimon was emerging.   
  


What a predicament he had gotten himself into.... Sure-- he could let Rika go battle by herself.... but what if the Digimon was too strong? What if...?   
  


Takato cautiously ran after the girl he liked. If it looked as though she needed help, he'd do it. But only IF....   
  


"Stupid self conscience...."   
  


~*~   
  


A/N: Gomen ne for the wait, mina-chan. I've been sick.... I just want to say... THANK YOU for the reviews! I was really surprised by how many of you actually enjoyed my story! Your reviews are my power-- really! If you have an idea for this story, tell me! If you hadn't noticed, I sorta added myself in this story.... I didn't MEAN to! It just... happened! Anyone else wanna be an extra? My sister already signed up! Yes... the whole thing with the girl knowing where 'Teko' should stand came from... 'Recess.' As for the part where Takato kicked the ball into his own face... well, that happened to my sister once! I HAD to write it! YES! I decided to keep the Digimon! And lookie what is goin' on! A 'wild one!' *clears throat* What will happen? Will Rika be able to defeat it? Will Takato ever have to wear girly shorts? Are Kazu and Kenta still laughing? Did Henry get in trouble for 'borrowing' his sister's stuff? How did Takato get into the school into the first place? Does his parents know of their son's new 'hobby?' Find out these (well, most of them) and more in the next chapter (whenever it gets typed)!-Angel-Chan (See that little button at the bottom left side of the screen? See it? Click on it and make a certain poor, young teen happy.) 


	3. Make Us Proud!

"Renamon!" Rika hollered, snapping out her shades and flinging them over her eyes. Finally, some action! And not just any type of action-- a Digimon! A smirk appeared on the redhead's face as her partner materialized beside her.   
  


The yellow fox-like Digimon nodded toward the building behind them. "Rika... aren't you supposed to be in school...?"   
  


Her eyes glanced at the creature with annoyance. "Hah! You think I'll let you fight by yourself?!" she shot back, waiting for the fog to fade and the Digimon to appear. "Besides-- it's right by my school! What if it attacks?!"   
  


True... it could attack the building; if so, then quite a few people would be hurt.... Renamon simply stared out before her with patience. She merely... had to relax her mind. As she did, though, she noticed something in the far corner.... It-- whatever it was-- was hiding. Acknowledging the presence, the Digimon knew that it was no threat....   
  


Takato peeked out from his hideaway in the bushes. Had they spotted him...? Oh, he hoped not! He'd be in hot water if Rika caught him there! An explanation would be rather... hard, ya know? Crossing his fingers, the boy prayed that it would be an easy, one-two-three battle....   
  


There! "Here it comes, Renamon!" Rika whipped out her modify cards. Oh yeah... they were gonna need them....   
  


As the fog gradually cleared... they came face-to-face with....   
  


School Day Blues 

Part Three: Make Us Proud!   
  


"A Gekomon...?"   
  


From his secluded spot in the bushes... Takato fell over. Good Lord-- he thought it would be some type of fire breathing dragon (think Guilmon or Agumon) that destroyed everything in its path! Well... he was wrong, eh? Gee... would she need his help? Nah... Rika could DEFINITELY handle it.... Besides... he had to get back before her anyway; if she knew that 'Teko' was missing during her intense battle, she might get suspicious and.... Takato shuddered at the thought.   
  


He just hoped she could withstand its singing... if that was what you wanted to call it....   
  


That's it? What a pathetic excuse for a Digimon! Where were the stronger ones?! I mean-- as time went on, more powerful ones had been appearing.... Some were really hard to beat, even! This one seemed a little... lame. The redhead shrugged and crossed her arms roughly. Data was data-- it didn't matter where she got it from. "Walk all over him...."   
  


Renamon jumped forward with a grunt, arms spread out. This... was too easy.... "Diamond storm!" she bellowed, sending her attack straight toward the awaiting weakling!   
  


As our favorite cross-dresser ran into the building, the normally silent Digimon's voice echoed out... and a screech of pain followed soon after.   
  


~*~   
  


God-- he just wanted to go home and fall face-first onto his comfy... cozy bed.... Yeah... that sounded nice. Really, now! He'd had enough! The poor boy had run in as quickly as he could, noticed that practically everyone had changed into their uniforms and zoomed into the closest stall. It was okay.... No one realized that he was late coming in; some girls were still getting dressed (which was why he had sped into the bathroom as fast as his legs could carry him).   
  


Why didn't he just... put his faith in Rika? He knew she could handle it, yet he followed anyway.... The reason nearly smacked him upside the head. Oh, right... he didn't want her to get hurt-- that's why! When you care for someone, it isn't very fun seeing them fail and feel pain and things like that.... Now... if only he knew how she felt about him.   
  


Then again... maybe it was better to adore from afar. Sorta like Helga, from 'Hey Arnold!'... 'cept he wouldn't pick on her.   
  


Alright-- he was fully clothed and ready for some learning! At least... as much as he could store within his brain for one day. Usually, that wasn't much. Ms. Asagi, from his old school, normally sent him in the hall EVERY day....   
  


Storming proudly out, he suddenly stopped. Wha... what?! Everyone... was gone! Where did they go?! Oh, man-- did he not hear the teacher say 'Time to go back to class,' or something similar to that? Then again... the bell hadn't chimed, either... had it?   
  


Just as he was about to smack his head against the sink due to his stupidity, the side door opened... and Rika, grinning widely and scarily-- possibly from the hype of the battle-- walked in. She barely glanced at the confused kid. It wasn't like she cared, anyway.   
  


Oh... he almost forgot! "Here... Rika-- right?" Had to act a little unknowing, ya know.... Didn't want to seem too... inviting, if that was what you'd call it. "Thanks for letting me borrow them," he added in his most squeakiest, yet sincerest voice ever. Yeah... and they were all sweaty and smelly now.... What a NICE way to give her clothes back.... Maybe he should have offered to take them home to wash them. At least then they'd be cleaner. Then again, she probably wouldn't allow that.... He sighed inwardly to himself.   
  


This Teko girl was lucky.... She caught her in a good mood.... A REALLY good mood. Laughing briskly, Rika snatched the soiled clothing and stuffed them into her gym bag. She'd have to start the washer up when she got home. "No problem," the girl muttered. She glanced around and coughed lightly. They did it again... didn't they? Asked she, "Where the heck did everybody go...?"   
  


Heh... oh, yeah! That was right.... He was alone... with Rika. This thought brought forth a small blush, and he instantly turned away. Why did they make him do this?! Why did he accept?! He... was going to make a butt(no cussing!) of himself.... He... he didn't want to! Not in front of Rika! "I... dunno...."   
  


"Oh... it's okay." They did that to her all the time. About once a week, really. Knowing those people, the ones she had to call 'classmates,' they were already up in the room with huge, toothy grins on their faces. They always did that! Leaving behind someone.... It was just so rude... and it ticked her off greatly! "Don't let them get to you.... They just like to... test everyone...."   
  


Nodding, Takato walked to the door. It was best just to agree... although he didn't quite understand what she meant. Anyway, he'd better get going.... "Well... I'll see you up in class, then." Not that she was making him uncomfortable.... Oh, no-- she NEVER did that....   
  


Rika waved as she prepared to change. As the door shut... she closed her eyes. No matter how hard she tried... there was something different about that girl. It was... like she knew her from somewhere. It was as though they had met before... yet she was positive she had never seen Teko before in her life. How very strange.... Perhaps this girl... was the friend she needed. Maybe she was the one who would understand....   
  


A sigh escaped her lips. Probably not.... At least... that's what she thought.   
  


~*~   
  


Okay-- that was it! Takato was fed up with schools all together! Every year they taught the same things over and over again! It wasn't like they forgot the unneeded information that was stomped into their brains! They just... well, they let it hide inside their minds! Yeah-- that was it! Deep within the corridors! It hid so well that, at times, it seemed to be forgotten!   
  


Oh... who was he kidding? He forgot every year, practically....   
  


The boy kept his eyes locked onto the ticking hands of the clock on the wall. Soon... soon, he could go home and change out of the ridiculous outfit he had on! How he missed his old clothes.... They were so comfy and fit him just right! A lot better than this skirt, anyway....   
  


Once he was ready, he'd grab some day-old bread and visit his pal Guilmon. Yeah... poor guy-- must be hungry.... Then again, when was he not? Even Terriermon ate a lot, and he was a small Digimon! An evil smile instantly popped onto the boy's face. If he were to run into Kazu, Kenta and Henry... he'd be sure to give all three of 'em a piece of his mind! Oh, buddy... that's exactly what he felt like doing!   
  


Of course... knowing them, they'd steer clear of the park for a while.... Heh--   
  


RIIINNNGG!!   
  


FINALLY! The girls stood and gathered their belongings. Now... now they were able to leave! Goodbye, hell-hole! None of them will miss you! For... once they leave, they'll be free to complete the homework for tomorrow, play and run around... or watch their daily soaps. If you'll just excuse them....   
  


Angel-Chan glanced around, a grin apparent on her face; her glasses gleamed mischievously. She... had the best idea EVER! Even better than what she had planned earlier that day! Now, then... where was that Teko chick...? Was she still at her seat...? No.... Was she...? Yup. She was gone-- out of sight, as many would say.   
  


"DARN IT!"   
  


~*~   
  


Ahh... the quaint smells from his parents' bakery flooded his nostrils. The 'Matsuki Bakery' was actually quite popular, ya know.... They made a decent amount of money, too. Every time he tried picturing his parents having some other job... he had to laugh. They were bakers-- nothing else! Well... besides parents. Groaning at his ridiculous reflection, Takato opened the door and entered. Let me say this, though: he entered WEARILY.   
  


"Mom? Dad? I'm home...!" he called, tossing his little suitcase-like backpack off to the corner (along with is VERY uncomfortable shoes, by the way). He toddled over to snatch a bun from the stands. God... he was SOOO hungry-- he barely ate anything at school! Everyone kept on staring at him, and he sat all by his lonesome! Actually... that Angel-Chan girl had come over a couple times to talk to him, but....   
  


Takato was home? He got home a little later than usual.... Jogging out of the kitchen, Mrs. Matsuki said, "And...? How did it go, son?"   
  


Mr. Matsuki chortled lightly. From the look on the poor kid's face... not very well. "Well... at least you fit in, right?" he cracked, noticing the dirty look that appeared immediately afterwards.   
  


"DAD!" How could he joke about something so... so embarrassing?! The boy yanked off his wig, hmphed loudly and tossed the half-eaten bread at his father! It wasn't right-- HE never tried to learn more about the girl from his dreams by dressing up like one! When they say 'like father, like son,' those two wouldn't fit the bill....   
  


His mother, chuckling to herself, left the room after the bread nearly whacked her in the head. Those two were dangerous at times.... They HAD agreed to Takato's strange request (although it had been a friend of his who came up with the idea). She wasn't going to ask why... even though it nagged at her. The only thing she knew was that it was about a girl. That alone made her realize that her son was growing up... faster than she expected. It just seemed TOO fast to her.... Still... seeing her boy in a dress was rather... odd.   
  


He'd better not keep this 'hobby'....   
  


~*~   
  


"TAKATOMON!"   
  


With a giant leap, the virus-type Digimon landed in his partner's arms. He also knocked the poor boy flat on his backside. This... was normal for the two of them. Who on Earth could it be normal, you ask? Let's just say that they've had plenty of time to practice....   
  


"Hey, boy," Takato greeted half-heartedly. Sure, he was used to it... but he always got the wind knocked out of him! No matter what, it always seemed to happen! Oh, well.... Sitting down (while his friend moved a small distance away), the boy opened up the bag full of 'goodies.' This, I must say, made the dinosaur-like Digimon's day.   
  


He had been SO hungry! When the brown haired boy didn't come see him this morning, he had thought something bad had happened. Especially when he later sensed a Digimon appear.... Questioningly, he glanced to Takato. "Did you bring peanut butter?" It was so good... and TASTY. Why, with bread, it had to have been the best thing in the entire world! It just HAD to!   
  


Oh, no! He forgot about that! "Sorry, pal...," the boy mumbled. Well... at least he didn't seem to care; quite the contrary... Guilmon had already stuffed his whole head into the bag! That was just like him... letting his stomach get the better of him. "Well... I have to go now...."   
  


With a snort and a tail wave, the red creature kept on gulping down the food. Soon, after he filled his belly, he'd take a nap. Sleepy time was nice....   
  


As Takato exited Guilmon's hideout, he saw a certain group of boys making their way OUT of the park.... Was it...? Oh, yeah... it sure was! A chuckle escaped the youth's lips... and he tiptoed his way to the end of the group. They were gonna get it.... They were gonna get it BIG TIME. And his punishment would be harsh-- yes... extremely harsh....   
  


After all... they deserved it, didn't they?   
  


~*~   
  


A/N: Ahh... another chapter.... *eeps and hides behind something* I am sooooo sorry for the wait! I was so into my other story, 'Fated,' that I completely forgot about this one! I promise you that I will NOT do that again.... At least... I will TRY. As for my absence this week... well, let's just say that I think it's a rather long story.... Look at my info... perhaps then you'll understand.   
  


HELP! I need ideas for this story! Give me whatever you see fit (just nothing about how Rika finds out-- that's already come to me). I'd greatly appreciate it! Thank you for reading, and expect a new chapter to 'Fated' out by tomorrow... unless my computer screws up, or I fall asleep before I finish typing. I am trying to work on it now. Also, for anyone who wants to see JUST how well I can draw... go to http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/agal.php?id=2680 I hope you enjoy my cruddy pics! Well... ja!-Angel-Chan (Look below this little author's note.... See the button? Well, please click on it; the more reviews I get, the more I know people like this story! Perhaps... I will get 11 new reviews? *sighs* I doubt it....) 


	4. Ah the Sweet Smell of Revenge!

"Honey? Come here for a moment!"   
  


Takato, who had gotten home just a few minutes ago, jumped off his bed. What the heck did his mom want? Wasn't she supposed to be making dinner or something...? Oh, well.... At least she didn't sound mad. Or... so he thought. Gulping, he walked into his parents' room. "Yeah?"   
  


Ooh! There he was! She giggled and held out a bag gingerly; said she, "While you were out with your friends, I was grocery shopping!"   
  


And... what did THAT have to with him?! It wasn't like she had some special type food that he could eat, right...? I mean-- she was sort of a health nut, but.... "Eheh... that's... great, Mom...," he rambled, still highly confused.   
  


"Anyway, when I walked past this one store," she explained, "I saw some really nice outfits that-- to me, at least-- would look great on you!" And sooo cute, too! She couldn't wait for him to try them on!   
  


Okay... so she bought him some clothes.... That wasn't too bad. With a small "thanks," he took the bag from her. Had to be polite, ya know! Even if it wasn't something he wanted, he didn't want to upset her! Heh... watch it be some kind of fancy suit or something.... Yay-- just what he needed... especially now. Faking a grin, he took a good, long look into the sack....   
  


"MOM-- I AM A GUY!!!" he shrieked, dropping the bag and scooting over to a far-away corner. What. Was. She. Thinking??!!   
  


Blinking, Mrs. Matsuki snapped her fingers. "Oh, right!" she realized, laughing nervously whilst her son fell over.   
  


Just... a simple, yet slightly confusing school night at the Matsuki Bakery....   
  


School Day Blues 

Part Four: Ahh... the Sweet Smell of Revenge!   
  


"RUN FOR YOU LIVES, MEN!!!"   
  


"I'M RUNNING, BUT IT AIN'T HELPING ME ANY!!!"   
  


"YEAH-- WHAT HE SAID!!!"   
  


Takato laughed manically as his 'friends' sped away like bats from you-know-where! Ooh-- this had to be the life! He was gonna KILL them! Quickening his pace, he formed a plan in his head. Not too harsh... but not too gentle, either.... It had to be... perfect.   
  


Now then... where was that creek...?   
  


~*~   
  


With a content sigh, the brown haired boy plopped into his bed. His day... did not turn out as bad as he'd thought it would be.... Sure-- it was his first day at an all-girl school, and he sorta didn't know anyone (not counting Rika, of course).... The thing was... for some odd reason, he didn't care! HE HAD GOTTEN HIS REVENGE!!! Hahaha...! The three boys didn't even notice the sudden drop creep up before them! Then-- SPLOOSH! They got what was coming to them!   
  


Oh, buddy... life was good.   
  


Then again... his mom DID buy some girly clothes today.... 'You might get invited somewhere! Then what would you wear?!' she reasoned, although he just thought that she was trying to cover up her 'little' mistake....   
  


Letting a chuckle escape his lips, Takato drifted off into the land of dreams....   
  


~Leme see here.... Oh, yeah-- his dream!!~   
  


It... was so dark. Cold, too.... Where was he...? What in the world was going on...? Wait... he still needed to open his eyes.... Okay-- maybe that would help....   
  


He groaned. Or not.... What was wrong with him? Squinting, he studied his situation. Oh, man!!! What was going on?! He... he was in a hospital bed... and he was all bandaged up! Wha... wha...?   
  


"T... Takato!"   
  


Who was that...? Somehow, he weakly managed to roll his eyes in the direction of the sound. For... some strange reason... he couldn't see the face of the person. The voice was familiar, but.... "Hmm...?" he rasped, confused and scared. I mean-- if you woke up in the hospital with no knowledge of what happened, you'd be scared, too!   
  


"Thank God...," the person whispered, reaching a hand out and stroking his face gently. But... he still didn't know who it was.... It... it was a girl-- he was almost positive on that (how many guys would rub his cheek?!)-- but he... wait.   
  


Could it be...?   
  


~ *COUGH* Well... THAT was interesting....~   
  
  
  


"Ugh...." Takato sat up, looked around and yawned. What a weird dream.... Too bad he didn't get to finish it, eh...? Glancing at the clock... he moaned. Darn it! He had to get ready for school! Gee... he felt the need to grumble to himself hopelessly....   
  


And, like always... he did.   
  


A short series of knocks entered his bedroom from his door; they were followed by a demanding call.... "Takato Matsuki-- get out of bed this instant!"   
  


"Right, right...," he muttered, tumbling out of his sheets. Why make his bed? It was already comfy-- he'd have to redo all that softening tonight, so.... Then again... wouldn't his mom get ticked...? Heh... yeah.... With one quick movement, he straightened the sheets and.... well, left it at that. As long as it looked 'OKAY.'   
  


What should he do...? Eat first, or change...? He stole another glance at his digital clock; almost instantly... his face turned a sickly shade of blue. Oh, no.... It wasn't....   
  


He had to hurry up-- no time to eat! By the time he was ready, he'd probably be late! Ooh, God! Late on the second day?!   
  


"Hey, Mom? Could you drop me off today...?"   
  


~*~   
  


Angel-Chan tightened her ponytail. Where was that new girl? "Don't tell me...," the girl muttered under her breath, "she couldn't take it...." I mean, yeah-- okay. So the others had been a little rough on her yesterday, but....   
  


ZOOM!   
  


What the heck was that?! As the blond stared on... 'Teko' came into view. That is... after the dust cleared. She let out a laugh. Man! What did she do? Sleep in? At least the teacher hadn't come in yet!   
  


Takato let out a huge gasp and dropped into his assigned seat like a rag doll. God... he had NEVER run that fast in his life!! And to think-- the freakin' teacher wasn't even there yet! He just wanted to stand up and scream and cry... but didn't. If he had... he'd have been the loon of the classroom (hey-- that sorta rimed!).   
  


"Hey, Teko! What's up?"   
  


Huh...? Oh... it was that one girl-- Angela. "Hey...," he huffed, still out of breath. Oh, well... at least he was getting exercise, right...? He didn't have to sprint to his other school.... It was a LOT closer to his house than this one....   
  


"Ya know what...? Keep this up, and you could try out for the track team!" Heh... of course, not with HER on it! She was the fastest girl in the entire school... although she only showed it on the field.... Yup-- Angel was L-A-Z-Y. Care for some TV time, kids?   
  


Funny.... "I... don't think so...." He hated most sports.... Whatever it dealt with-- balls, bats, cones, running-- it didn't matter.... He usually sucked at it. Either that, or the people WANTED him to be bad.... Who knew? It didn't seem to change, anyway.... Groaning, he went on: "I never did anything like this at my old school...."   
  


Hrm.... Where was her old school? "That's too bad.... Were there a lot of girls in sports at your old school...?"   
  


Hah.... Not really.... He opened his mouth to answer-- wait. A devious idea was suddenly sprouting into his little, wigged mind.... This one... was more wicked than what he had done last night.... Smirking, he said, "Nah... too many guys. That was one reason why my parents made me come to a private school-- they don't trust boys...."   
  


What? Overridden with guys?! Ooh.... This may be better than she thought! "This school--" she glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one was listening "-- is it close by...?" Guys! She barely got to see any 'cause she went to this stupid all-girl school! This Teko... she may be her ticket to heaven!   
  


Heh.... She bought it-- hook, line and sinker.... "Sure is!" he exclaimed, brushing some of his 'bangs' out of his face. Being a girl was a lot easier than he thought! He just... had to act right! "In fact, I have some guy friends that I sometimes visit at the park!"   
  


"Ooh-- sounds... inviting." Angel-Chan's hazel eyes gleamed from behind her glasses. She ignored the snort that floated up from a certain redhead in front of them. Perhaps.... perhaps.... "Mind if I join you on a visit?" Oh, she hoped.... Not only would she possibly get a guy for herself, but.... Maybe she had come across a more simpler plan than what she had originally thought up...!   
  


YES! His plot was developing nicely, and soon his revenge would be fulfilled! "Sure--"   
  


"Alright, class. Please settle down and return to your seats."   
  


Oops-- Mrs. Akino! The girls all scuttled to their seats and put on their best smiles. That's right, children.... Suck up to the teacher... for she is the one who rules right now!!!!!   
  


My, my.... How nice his day was... so far, at least. While Mrs. Akino checked for absences, Takato turned to Angel-Chan (who sat a few rows away) and mouthed 'today.' When her eyes lit up with excitement once more... he had to fight the sudden urge to cackle.   
  


Not even gym could ruin his day!   
  


~*~   
  


"SIS!"   
  


Takato looked over his shoulder. Who was that...? Angel had agreed to walk to the park with him right after school, but....   
  


A girl, probably only a year younger than them, ran up and stopped right at the blond's feet. She... looked RATHER hyper.... "Whatcha doin'?" Not only that... but she sorta looked like....   
  


Angel-Chan giggled and rammed her fist into the girl's head weakly. Idiot.... "Sorry... my sister's just a little energetic...." So rude! Couldn't that brat see she was with a friend?! She nudged her and gave her the introduce-yourself-before-I-kill-you look.   
  


Heh... oops.... Her sister always got mad at her when she did something like that! "My bad...." Turning to our own little boy/girl (sorry, not Ranma), she announced, "My name's Andria! Angela calls me 'Squirtle-girl,' though...."   
  


"I think it fits...," the older sister mumbled before walking off. She had to get away from her! "Come on, Teko-- let's go see your... 'friends!'" She could NOT wait! Oh, no... she wasn't in a hurry....   
  


Oh, my.... What a strange family they must have.... Nodding nervously, Takato edged away from the seemingly sugar-filled child and ran after his new 'pal.' At least everything wasn't going in the wrong direction.....   
  


"I'M COMIN' TOO!"   
  


"NO! YOU GO HOME-- NOW!"   
  


"MAKE ME!"   
  


"I... I-- OOH!!"   
  


~*~   
  


"I'm sure they're here...," the boy rasped in his new, squeaky voice. Yup-- it improved. After all, sitting in front of a mirror and pretending to be talking to himself helped.... Sure-- it was degrading, but....   
  


There! At-- hey! Who was that?! J-JERI?! Why in the world was SHE there?! And... and... she didn't know about.... Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!   
  


Angel-Chan studied her friend's face. Something... did something hurt her...? "What's wrong-- step on a rock? Bee sting you...?"   
  


"No... I'm fine," he replied after a moment. Had... to forget about it.... He... would just have to pull Jeri over for a second to explain his predicament.... She'd understand... yeah-- she'd understand better than anyone! With a chortle, he squeaked: "THERE THEY ARE!" With that said and done... he sped out toward them, skirt flying and rustling slightly.   
  


Huh...? There...? "WAIT FOR US, TEKO!!!" Angel cried, snatching her little sister by the wrist and galloping after the 'girl.' She had been right... Teko COULD run fast!   
  


Kenta looked up from his... match-- although many would call it a murder-- with Henry. No... as you could've guessed, he wasn't winning-- but he wasn't losing, either! Not yet, anyway.... What was...? Oh, my.... "Is that who I think it is...?"   
  


Kazu's jaw dropped to the floor... and he added, "If so... we're screwed...."   
  


"No... way...," Henry gasped, not sure whether to burst out laughing or to run away screaming. After the other day, well.... Let's just say... Takato SHOULD be done with his revenge....   
  


What was going on? Who was that girl-- wait, girls. Yes... there were three of them.... Who were they...? Jeri smiled, confused. The boys sure didn't seem too happy to see them, so.... Still, it would be rude to just go by how the BOYS acted.... I mean-- she didn't even know them!   
  


Oh... geeze.... He... had to stop running... everywhere.... Once the child had reached his destination, he placed his hands on his knees and took in a long swig of air. Too... too much running! But, in the end... it was WORTH it....   
  


Okay... where were the guys...? The anxious girl looked out at the people before her. Three guys and a girl.... The blue haired boy was awfully cute... but he seemed to be sitting rather close to that girl.... Darn it.... Perhaps one of the others.... Ooh! He'd do! Quite cute-- despite the fact that he looked scared out of his wits! Angel chuckled and waved shyly at the boy. Always... had to look innocent and unknowing!   
  


"Um... why is that girl staring at me...?"   
  


"Don't ask us!"   
  


"Hey, sis...? I'm hungry...!"   
  


~*~   
  


A/N: Ah...! I LOVE writing this story! Even though I suck at comedy, it's still fun! I'm sorry it took me so long to post ANYTHING-- my computer is acting up big time.... My internet wouldn't connect for, like, EVER, and our 'networking' thing is still messing with our computers a little.... For those of you hoping for new chapters to 'Fated,' please hold on just a few more days-- I need to work on something! As for Takato's dream... I dunno-- it might be a little 'premonition' thing, but.... Well, how's about YOU guys decide! Tell me! (Well... I might not listen, but... TELL ME ANYWAY!)   
  


Anyway, thanks to all who reviewed last time-- I love you guys! And your ideas...! Heh-- most were GREAT! Especially the slumber party, swimming and the whole 'revenge' thing (which I actually put at the beginning)! KEEP 'EM COMIN'! Well... I'd better go type before certain addicted reviewers try to strangle me for my lateness.... *Shudders* Gomen nasai, mina-chan.... Ja!-Angel-Chan (*Susie walks in, holding a struggling Terriermon* Pwease weview her stowy! She wuvs your words of wisdom almost as much as I wuv Pwincess Pwetty Pants! *Terriermon maneges to mumble a weak 'help'* Thanks for weading!) 


	5. A Night on the Town Pt 1

"Hi, there.... My... my name's Angela...." Angel-Chan batted her eyes as she bent closer to the poor, scared-half-to-death boy. He was so cute when he acted that way! Holding in the urge to squeal and glomp him, she went on: "What's your name...?"   
  


Kazu gulped and laughed nervously. God-- why was this happening to him...? Some strange girl he didn't even know-- well, he knew her name now-- had the hots for him?! What happened to whole 'get to know someone before you decide if you like them' idea that most girls followed? And Takato... was this all a part of his stupid revenge...? Stuttering, he answered, "K-Kazu...." Man-- she was giving him the creeps!   
  


That was it! She couldn't take it any more! A high-pitched shriek escaped her clenched teeth as the blond flung herself toward the boy! After all, it was guy-- something that many in her school did not see often. What else was she supposed to do? Get to know him better?   
  


HAH-- like that would work!!   
  


As she watched her older sister make new friends... poor, little Andria slumped weakly and groaned. Food... she needed food.... School was over for the day; she usually ran home to a fridge full of it. But, at the moment....   
  


Cri... crunch.   
  


What... was that? Did she just hear someone open up a paper sack?! Snapping her head up instantly, the child discovered that one of the boys still had some food! Oh, glorious day! She would just pop up and... WAIT! No drooling! Just casually ask to share his meal! That's right! Angel-Chan would kill her if she acted normally...!   
  


"Heh...!" Kenta, trying not to snort at Kazu's hilarious attempts to pry the girl from him, pulled out his sandwich. Man-- he was hungry! Good thing his mom packed a lot of food, right? He opened his mouth, and... stopped. The other girl who had come with 'Teko' was giving him a freaky look.... And what...? Was she drooling...?! Good Lord!   
  


Suddenly... her stomach cried out as if creating an explanation for her actions. The boy looked over the rims of his glasses and chuckled nervously. Well... that told him a LOT! Asked he, "Hungry...?"   
  


School Day Blues 

Part Five: A Night on the Town (Part One)   
  


Takato fell face-first onto his bed. He... was pooped. Sure, it was a great day and all, but.... Well, running for everything didn't help. Heck-- they even ran in gym!! Either he was imagining things, or there was some sort of conspiracy going on.... Yeah, one against 'Teko.'   
  


All in all, Kazu had gotten his fare share of Takato's revenge. Heh... sending a boy-deprived girl after him was a freakin' work of genius! And when the other one begged Kenta for his food-- simply brilliant! The boy lifted his head, yanked off his wig and began to chortle.... Not just any kind of chortling, either....   
  


Malicious chortling....   
  


The only hard part about the entire day was the explaining he had to do.... Yup-- Jeri was now officially a part of his 'supporters.' Heh... while the boys were busy, she had called him over. Yes, curious Jeri had to know what was going on. Laughing, the poor cross-dresser told of his... 'attempts.' What did his friend think? Why... what else? "Oh, Takato! How romantic-- trying to get to know her like that!"   
  


Oh, yeah.... if you call impersonating a girl and pretty much stalking your crush romantic. Still, he felt pleased with himself... until she pulled out her puppet and began to start a conversation using it. Let's just say... that it was a little nerve-wracking. Especially when it kept on telling him that Jeri was 'gonna spill the beans!' What if she did? God, he'd probably keel over and die before Rika could kill him! Then again... Jeri barely knew who Rika was, anyway! Yeah...! So... she wouldn't say anything... would she?   
  


Wait a sec. Not once... he hadn't talked to Rika at all today! It was like he had completely ignored her! Why the heck was he doing this if he didn't even pay attention to her?!   
  


The easily depressed child plopped his head back down.   
  


Man... he had to learn how to think....   
  


~*~   
  


It was going to be a bad day.... How could she tell...? Easy-- her mother had asked her to try out a 'simple little photo shoot.' Of course, the redhead had declined (with some anger and attitude) and stated that she needed to leave for school. Heck, she even brushed Renamon aside!   
  


Yes... a VERY bad day....   
  


Contemplating about what she would be doing later-- mostly because of the morning's events-- she barely noticed a hand reach out from behind her.... Just as it brushed against her shoulder, the child spun around in her assigned seat and knocked the hand aside. No one... could touch her...! And yet... as she saw the person, the anger in her face faded.   
  


"What?" she snapped as gently as she could.   
  


Hoo-boy... things were looking tough! And she looked ticked, too! Attempting a giggle, Takato muttered, "Oh... nothing, really...." Rika's eyebrows moved upward, forming the accursed 'like-I'd-believe-that-line-of-crap' stare. Mentally pounding himself, the boy (in girl's clothing) glanced to the side. "J-Just wanted to apologize for pretty much ignoring you yesterday!" he finally stammered out. Great job! Now, let her scowl and turn around! Looks like he'd be banging his head off something again! Whoopee!   
  


Gee... was that all? Like she noticed! "Whatever...," the redhead muttered. As bad of a mood she was in, she could've easily taken out a lot of her anger on that girl. Why she didn't... was a mystery-- even to the fireball herself!   
  


God... life sucked. Why the heck was he doing this if he ended up making a fool of himself?! Half-tempted to run out the door screaming and yanking his wig off, Takato looked out the window. Freedom.... Man, that sounded so good right about then! He seriously thought about that one for a while. Sure, there were some rough consequences, but.... A tap on his shoulder brought him back to the living world.   
  


Angel-Chan winked and whispered, "Hey, Teko, wanna go to the mall after school? It IS Friday, right? We can go see a movie and shop around!" Actually... she just wanted to see Kazu again. She'd overheard him talking to his friends (well... the other people who were with him yesterday) about going to the mall to buy... cards or something. Imagine 'bumping' into him! If she could do that, a date could be set it no time! She suddenly chuckled rather loudly and ignored the stares from her classmates.   
  


Mall? Tonight? But.... "Right after school? I... I dunno...." What was he gonna do? That girl was a little zany, and she'd probably find out where he lived-- and worse! Takato shuddered at the thought of Angel knowing his secret. With a mouth like hers, it would be all over the WORLD in less than a day!   
  


"Nah... around five or so." Waving her hand, the girl pointed to the school uniform she was wearing. "I don't know 'bout you, but I'd rather go in civies." Ahh... the dreaded uniform.... How she longed to BURN it!   
  


Five...? But... he wouldn't be with Rika, would he...? That was the whole reason he was doing this stupid thing! Why wear a dress if he wasn't going to follow the plan?! Right before he opened his mouth to protest... an idea came to his mind. Ooh... what a good one it was, too! Grinning, he squeaked out, "Maybe... I'll have to ask my Mom, though. Five, right?" The blond nodded; Mrs. Akino came in right afterwards, thus ending the conversation.   
  


Takato groaned and pulled out his math book. It was going to be another long, long day....   
  


~*~   
  


Today... a certain boy, whom we all know and love, learned what the true meaning of 'hell' is. Oh, yes... it wasn't a fun day for him. There had been a pop quiz in reading over a book that he hadn't taken the time to read; he was almost positive he'd flunked it. During gym the 'popular' girls decided to hide all of his clothes; he'd spent ten minutes trying to find them (they were jammed in various nooks and crannies) and was punished by the teacher. After his ten laps, he was finally able to join everyone in the gym assignment for the day: archery. He was currently thanking God that they hadn't used sharp arrows. During lunch he'd tripped over some milk box lying on the floor; his uniform was stained quite badly from that experience. And now... he was anxiously waiting for a certain bell to ring.   
  


He wanted to go home!   
  


RIIINNG!   
  


WOO-HOO! After that heavenly sound echoed out, 'Teko' flew out the classroom door, down the stairs and straight out of the school. Home! That's where he wanted to be! He just wanted to plop into his bed and sleep forever! Why, he felt like--   
  


"Teko-- don't forget about the mall!"   
  


Aww... CRAP! He'd forgotten all about that!! With a strained smile, the boy turned and waved. 'I'm gonna be dead by next week,' he muttered within his head. Cursing silently, he searched for a certain redhead as the blond disappeared. Great... now where was she? She... she didn't leave yet, right? Please, God... no! But, if not, then... then where was Rika?!   
  


Wait! THERE! C'mon! Gotta catch up to her-- NOW! "Rika!" he called, running as fast as his legs would carry him. (Man, this boy does a LOT of running, eh?) "Wait a sec!"   
  


The girl stopped and turned, a scowl apparent. Great. She didn't want to deal with anyone at the moment.... Snorting to herself, Rika waited for her schoolmate to catch up. Geeze... the girls from her school really were weaklings! I mean, the way this one acted after running only a short distance proved it! She waited patiently for the Teko girl to get a breather, then demanded, "What?"   
  


Caught her.... Good. "I... I was wondering... if you'd come to the mall with me tonight...," he rasped out. See now, it wasn't too hard to ask! Yeah! Maybe he'd gotten braver after seeing her more often and stuff! Or... maybe it was just because he was so pooped that he didn't care what happened anyway. Oh, well... at least he tried, eh?   
  


What in the world...? Why would someone want to... take her to the mall?! Rika smirked and looked out to the sky; it was still blue-- no clouds whatsoever. A nice day to just sit on the porch and sort out cards. Besides... wasn't that she going to the mall with the annoying, blond girl? "Why...?"   
  


"Well... Angel-Chan invited me, but... she just wants to buy clothes and stuff. It's... not really my thing," he answered. It WAS true. No lies this time! He didn't want to spend his money on girly clothes!! His mom already did that-- and even then, he'd protested! "I'd rather buy some Digimon cards," he added, trying to keep his voice low.   
  


Digimon cards? "You... play Digimon?" Okay... that was different. None of the girls in her school played card games! She was often the source of rumors and jokes because she enjoyed them. 'Look at her-- hey, Rika, go home and play with your stupid cards!' or 'Gee, I wish I could be like you: a freaky, card-loving loser!' Afterwards, she'd usually pound them to the ground. If Teko liked the cards... perhaps she WOULD be a good person to become friends with.... At least they'd understand each other....   
  


YES! He'd gotten her attention! "Yeah... but I'm not very good." Now what should he do...? DARNIT! He didn't know how to act like a girl at all! Finally, after tossing a variety of ideas on what to do out the window, he clasped his hands together and gave Rika the most pathetic-looking puppy dog face ever (gee, I thought only GIRLS could do that!). "So... will you go? Please? I don't wanna buy dresses!" After a moment of thought, he added, "And I don't wanna be alone with Angel-Chan, either! She can get pretty scary, if ya know what I mean!"   
  


Aurgh.... Tossing her hands in the air, Rika groaned. "Fine.... Dumb whiner...." That latter was muttered so low that the 'girl' beside her couldn't hear it. Never in her life had she heard someone complain and whine so much...! She'd go... but if it was some kind of sick joke or something, she'd pulverize all in her way! "What time...?"   
  


Really...? Then that meant... she'd go! SWEET!! "Five!" he replied, skipping down the sidewalk happily. Things were starting to take a turn for the better! "Don't forget!" With that said and done with, the boy hopped away, humming something to himself and pretty much acting like an actual girl (and to think... he thought he didn't know how to!).   
  


Rika stood there and watched her... supposed 'friend' bounce off. For a moment, she'd thought it was... naw.... Her imagination was playing such strange tricks of her nowadays. Turning sharply, she glared at the person closest to her before treading on. Only one thing was on the redhead's mind:   
  


What had she gotten herself into...?!   
  


~*~   
  


Takato paced impatiently outside the mall. It was five already-- where was everyone?! Glancing down at himself and making sure his wig was on right, he sighed. Maybe they were just going to be 'fashionably late,' whatever that meant. Heh... that made him think of his little clothing predicament he'd had when he'd gotten home.   
  


*You are now going back in time... (swings her wristwatch back and forth)*   
  


"Oh, man! What am I gonna wear?! Everything Mom bought is too frilly and shiny!!" He pulled up a soft pink skirt and felt something nasty-tasting rise in his throat. "My life sucks soooo bad right now!"   
  


Mrs. Matsuki just happened to be walking up the steps at that very moment. So...her baby was having clothing problems? But... what was he talking about? Too 'frilly and shiny?' She thought they were lovely! Maybe her child just needed some convincing. "Do you need some help with your clothes, honey? I think I bought you a more casual dre--"   
  


"NO!! NOT A DRESS!"   
  


And with that... he slammed the door in her face. So much for parental help. Miffed, the woman stormed back downstairs to take out her anger on her husband.   
  


*(the watch is still spinning) Back... back... back... (Blinks) Oh! Umm, returning to present!*   
  


"Teko!"   
  


Finally! It was almost five after, now! Yeah, he was a worrywart. "Where have you been?!" he raged, suddenly noticing that Angel's little sister had tagged along. Huh...? Oh, great-- just peachy! With a groan, he wished he was back home at that moment. With those two together... he could only imagine what kind of a riot they'd probably cause....   
  


Angel-Chan sniffled loudly and eyed her sister. "It's all her fault!" hissed she, pointing an accusing finger toward her 'pain-in-the-rear' sister. "She decided-- at the last minute, of course-- that she wanted to come, too! I told her not to, but she wouldn't listen!" It wasn't fair! Stupid, dumb-butted...! Why did she have to babysit her all the time? The brat NEVER listened to a word she said, anyway!   
  


"HEY! I'm here to get a DVD!" little Squirtle-girl insisted. Like she would want to hang out with her sister all day! That was just plain idiotic! With a huge grin, she turned to Teko. "I'm gettin' the Blue Seed Beyond DVD!"   
  


Nodding weakly, the boy... er girl... eh-- who-knows-what glanced around for a spiked ponytail. God... where was Rika? She said she'd come...! His breath caught in his throat as he made a terrifying realization:   
  


What if she DIDN'T come?!   
  


Noo!! He'd rather be at that all-girl school than put up with those two for a couple hours! Man, oh, man! Someone needed to shoot him... or hit him... or do something that would take him home..... If he had to--   
  


"Oi!"   
  


Huh? Angel-Chan trailed her hazel eyes to the voice. What the...? Nonaka the Hellbent Demon? What the heck was she doing here? Maybe... no... that couldn't be it! Why would Rika be there to buy clothes? Besides... wasn't there a rumor going around that Rika NEVER left her house, except to go to school?   
  


This... was going to be interesting. Her mom had put her in an even worse mood when she went home. It was so bad that she could still hear their fight ringing in her ears. 'Why don't you do anything with me, Rika?' Keh... like she didn't know! She hated it-- how her mother didn't seem to listen to a word she said! Tossing what had happened into an unknown closet inside her brain, she muttered, "Are we gonna just stand here? I'd like to at least walk around, if you don't mind...."   
  


The girl-- whoops, my mistake! The B-O-Y stammered, "Uhh... sure." With that... they started for the entrance, Angel-Chan giving him looks of question; he sighed and mouthed, 'Don't ask.' The day was not over-- not by a long shot.... Hmm.... Where was the bathroom? He needed something hard to hit his head off of....   
  


"Can we go to Suncoast first?"   
  


"NO! We're going to Raves!"   
  


"WHY???"   
  


"BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!"   
  


"Gee... I'm having fun already...."   
  


"You and me both...."   
  


~*~   
  


A/N: Wow... it's been a while, eh? *bows* Gomen ne, minna-chan, for not working on this story. I hope you'll forgive me! I promise NEVER to slack off again! (People in the background walk away disbelievingly.) HEY!!! GET BACK HERE!   
  


Anyway... what do you guys wanna see in the next chappy? What should happen at the mall? Anything... 'interesting?' TELL MEE!!!! I need your advice! I have some ideas... but I want to know what YOU want!! Also... 'Fated' is finished ('cept for the epilogue)!!!! GO READ IT AND REVIEW! Por favor...? Until next time... ja!-Angel-Chan (*Susie skips out* Hi weaders!! Angel-Chan says you wiked me!!! *pulls out a dressed up Terriermon and Lopmon* So... Pwease weview! Bunny Wunny and Pwincess Pwetty Pants order you to! *giggles and skips away*) 


	6. A Night on the Town Pt 2

"Ohmigod! This would look GREAT on you!"

Takato grinned nervously; a small droplet of sweat ran down his cheek. Oh... why him? It wasn't like he ever deserved this...! Eyeing the outfit Angel-Chan was brandishing off in front of him, he held back a gag. This was so unfair...! Yet... it was sorta his own fault, eh? He, after all, _was_ the one to agree with Angel's plans. Ignoring the suppressed chuckled off to his right-- Rika, no doubt-- the boy started: "Well, I don't think--"

Angela tutted and shoved the outfit into her friend's face. "Look at it!" she exclaimed, causing a few people to turn and look toward the small group. Their confused, weary stares tempted to burn a hole into the shrieking girl. Did it bother her? Heck, no! Teko needed to put a _little _more effort into her poor excuse for a wardrobe! I mean, what she was wearing now...! Jean overalls and a light blue t-shirt? "It would SO go with your eyes!"

Okay... she couldn't help it-- it _was_ rather funny. Rika shoved her hands into her pockets and glanced away. Stupid people. Still, she couldn't help but peek at the scene laid out before her: the blond girl was ranting about the article of clothing in her hands (Rika shuddered and thanked God that the girl didn't pick out anything for her) while Teko tried to explain that she DIDN'T like the outfit. "Idiots...," muttered she, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

"Angel-Chan...!" he whined, stomping his foot weakly. That was it! He couldn't take it any more!!! No more mister... er, 'miss' nice guy! "I don't have that much money, and I really don't need any new clothes, darn it!" Oh, yeah... that was laying down the law, all right!

So _that's_ how it was... huh? Deflated and somewhat disappointed, Angela spat, "Oh... _fine_." Sniffing to herself, the girl threw the article of clothing off to the side, caring not where it landed. If that's how Teko felt, then.... Wait a sec! A soft purple shirt caught her eye; she snatched it, turned, and giggled... somewhat evilly. "Hey... Sis!"

Unaware of her elder sister's plans, young Squirtle-girl groaned and cursed silently. How she hated shopping for clothes! That was one reason why she almost didn't go with them! Angel's call brought her back to the world of the living, and she muttered a few choice words. Geeze... what did she want? Upon looking at her sister... and what she held in her hands, fear flooded her. Cried she, "NO!"

"Kukuku!!!! Andria, sis, this would look PERFECT on you!"

The girl, with horror-stricken eyes, took a few steps back, watching as her sister advanced.... A deer caught in the deathly headlights of a car... that was how she felt. Breaking her gaze away from her zany sister, she found the strength to speed away. Squitle-girl shot out of the store and into the mall, stopping only when she came to the nearby Waldens Bookstore. Safe...!

...for now, at least.

**_School Day Blues_**

_Part Six: A Night on the Town (Part Two)_

The mall: hunting ground for shoppers; 'happy place' to those who have no life; hell for those who are nonsocial. There were stores galore! Need clothes? No prob! Looking for a video game? Right around the corner! Why, you need something for your pet? Look no further! Groceries? The store at the end will help you there! Gee-- want some useless thing that just looks cool? There's bound to be a store just for that!

Oh, forget about the stores. Now, the food court, on the other hand.... One can only drool...!

"So... now what?"

Takato gave Rika a dry laugh as he glanced around sluggishly. What to do...? Well, for one thing, he really wanted to go to the card store. Of course, Angel-Chan would be less than likely to follow... and he didn't want to be all alone with Rika. Darn... all that blond wanted to do was go clothing shopping! Groaning, he plopped onto a nearby bench as two of his companions (take a wild guess) squabbled over where to go next. Grumbled he, "Great...."

"Apparently," Rika drawled darkly, "no one listened to me...." When silence (well... aside from the incessant rants of the two sisters) continued, she decided to give in. Why was she there...? This was a total waste of time! There were so many other things she could do-- things of much more _importance!_ Renamon needed some more training, as always; a digimon could have been running amuck somewhere nearby at that very moment (although she knew, deep down, that no such thing was taking place); or perhaps some other IMPORTANT thing...!

_'It's not like I came here because I want to be... _friends_ with that Teko girl...!'_

A snort; Rika leaned back and shut her eyes. Like _that_ would ever happen! ...but, in some small crevice in her mind, she knew that she was simply lying to herself. It just so happened that she was too stubborn to admit it.

"-- and THAT'S why!"

Bopping her younger sibling on the head quickly, Angel-Chan turned to grin widely at her shopping buddies. A new destination had finally been decided! "Are you two ready-- or do you wanna rest some more?" inquired she, adjusting her oval specks meekly. Perhaps... perhaps a run-in with Kazu would occur...? Ooh! How delightful! Giggles suppressed, the girl skipped off, not really caring if the others followed her anymore.

A sigh escaped her lips meekly before she shot a raspberry in her elder sister's direction. It just wasn't fair! Who cared if she was older...? The girl tossed a pleading look to her sister's friends; one chuckled weakly while the other rolled her eyes and groaned. Well... they were no help! Squirtle-girl let out a sob and toddled after Angel-Chan, hoping that she would be able to go anime and manga shopping later.

And so... the brave Takato set forth on a perilous journey, accompanied by only his wits due to a huge loss in pride. After all, how many guys dressed up as a girl and went shopping... for CLOTHES? He shuddered; just thinking of that made him sick to his stomach. Still, he had to keep telling himself that it was all for the sake of learning more about Rika. An insane giggle sounded off to his right, and he could practically hear the redhead's knuckles crack in irritation.

Something deep down told him that, alas, it would be a looong night.

"No way!" Angel-Chan's eyes light up with excitement. "They actually HAVE it!!"

Where were they...? Well, (surprise, surprise!) they found themselves right outside the entrance to the Kinokuniya bookstore. As in... NOT a clothing store! Takato stared at the girl in shock. She... she actually enjoyed manga?! Miracles never ceased! A grin popped onto his face as the small group entered the inviting store.

Squirtle-girl disappeared, muttering something about Yu-Gi-Oh! and Tokyo Mew-Mew; Angel-Chan could be seen swarming about the many volumes of Inuyasha... whilst glomping a certain, hanyou-like plushie she'd seen on a nearby stand. Takato sighed; his new friends' antics would certainly embarrass him to death one day.... Oh, well! Time to search! Now where were they...? A-HA! The boy grinned from ear to ear as he looked over the Naruto and Shaman King sections. New volumes for both of them!! He reached out to get a better look at the Naruto manga... and accidently bumped hands with a certain redhead. A faint blush painted his face as he drew away from the book. "S-sorry!" he squeaked. It was as if she'd snuck up on him or something! "You can look at it."

Keh.... Rika crossed her arms stubbornly and shoved her nose in the air. "It's not...," grumbled she, "like I LIKE that series...!" Nooo! It was just that she'd been reading it since it had first come out! Her deep violet eyes trailed over to the bookcase... then slid toward something else. Teko had seen it first, right? That gave her first dibs! A frown appeared on her annoyed face. "Aren't you gonna look at it?"

"I'm fine-- my money's low, anyway! You can have it."

A harsh snort flew from her nose. Why would someone try to be so kind to _her_? Everyone else treated her like crap-- and she returned their feelings tenfold! Still... this girl was different. Kind, yet meek... and her heart seemed almost pure. A certain person popped into her head; yeah... a goggle-headed person. True, the two were alike... but, of course, there were many differences! Mainly, gender! Attempting a grin (which she assumed resembled a smirk, due to the effect it had on the person next to her), Rika gently grasped the book; with a quick flick of her thumb, she skimmed the pages delicately. She looked up and offered:

"How's about we share it?"

No. Way! Did he actually do something right?! He'd done it-- Rika had shown him some kindness! Before the boy could hop onto cloud nine, he found the courage to nod vigorously and point out a few other 'interesting' books. So... she liked the same manga he did, eh? Small world! Finally, he was learning a little bit more about his crush.... Perhaps the whole 'dress-up-as-a-girl' plan WAS working...!

...or maybe he was getting a little ahead of himself.

Bo-ring!

The mall had absolutely _nothing_ to offer her anymore! Sure, there were guys-- but most were either taken or hideously ugly. Clothing could be bought off the internet, so she didn't have to drag all of her money in town. Heck-- she could talk to her friends on AIM! So... why did she go?

Well, as rumor had it... the Demonic Princess was roaming the mall.

Kiyo cackled evilly as she studied the people walking around. If that were true... then she'd have a lot of blackmail on the girl! To either side of her bounced a hyper Bev and a giddy Hitomi. Thanks to Bev's constant gossip chain, the three of them were hoping to catch Rika in the process of doing something degrading-- you know, buying 'girlie' shirts, riding one of those quarter-kiddie rides, etc.

The thing was... Rika was so hard to find! The pink haired girl ranted for a few moment in hopes of letting out some steam; her counterparts begged her to calm down... but their attempts were futile. Ooh! The one day she felt like busting the Fireball just happened to be the day that she was being too uberly hard to find!! Why was the mall so crowded, anyway? Didn't these people have lives? Friday or not, there were better things to do than be a mall rat!

A red, spiky ponytail bobbed through the sea of chattering people; it headed toward the food court in a laid-back, uncaring speed that one could easily catch up to. Heh... so luck decided to shine before her for a little while, eh? Kiyo smirked and glanced over toward Hitomi and Bev. Baring her pearly whites, the girl crowed:

"It's time, girls!"

"Who's hungry?"

Andria jumped up and down, eyes gleaming at the sudden thought of food. Oh, glorious food, how she adored it so! Cereal-- Cherios-- was her absolute favorite, of course (although it was rather hard to find such a thing at the food court when it was, like, eight o'clock in the evening). Did she eat EVERYTHING? Well... no. She was a picky eater, actually, but ate a whole lot of what she liked! "Chinese! No, wait-- Wendys! Or--"

"Why not a knuckle sandwich?"

Giggles pervaded the area. The odd quartet ended their meeting and spun toward the interrupting voices. Who was it...? When Kiyo's long pink hair filled their view... Rika snarled, Angel-Chan laughed meekly, Takato (Teko, duh) glanced around nervously, and poor little Squirtle-girl just stared in confusion. Angel-Chan, ever the brave one, decided to break the uneasy silence:

"W-Why, Kiyo-Chan...! What brings you he--"

The spoiled brat snorted and shot a 'shut-the-heck-up-before-I-make-you-wish-you-were-dead' glare toward the blond haired girl. "Cut the crap," she spat. There now... with that little hurtle out of her way, she could _easily_ address the redhead. Kiyo turned her attention toward said person and smiled a sickly sweet grin. "Why, Rika," she snidely remarked, "what brings YOU here?" Her two sidekicks clasped their hands over their mouths as they suppressed their laughter.

Hey! That wasn't right! Angela crossed her arms defiantly and let out an annoyed grunt. Kiyo had stolen her line!! Weren't there rules against that kind of thing?! ...but, then again, she wasn't a fighter; and she still wanted to get on the girl's good side. Sighing, the blond teetered off to the sidelines (dragging her 'loving' sister along with her) and glanced around thoughtfully. Where was Kazu...?

Rika bared her teeth angrily and pushed up the sleeves of her black coat. She had KNOWN the whole mall idea would bring about some kind of problem! She cursed silently. Why had she allowed the girl to talk her into coming? Trick or not-- the way the three she'd been walking around with were acting proved their innocence-- someone would pay. Oh, yes... someone would pay _dearly._ "Does it matter?" hissed she, rolling her eyes at the scene of pure stupidity before her. "It's not like I don't have a life, too, Ms. 'I'm SO Rich and Popular!'"

"R-Rika...!" Takato, mind slightly numb, had not been as smart as the sisters; he stood deep within the battlefield, watching as the two girls readied themselves for a fight. God... fighting was wrong! Even if it seemed to be the only way.... He moved next to his 'dream girl' and, in a whisper, asked, "Do you really plan on fighting?"

Violet orbs shot a questioning look toward the 'girl.' Of course she was going to fight-- Kiyo deserved to be punished! If Teko wasn't going to help, she should get out of the way! "There's no other alternative."

W-what? But there was always a different route to go! Muttered he, "Fighting doesn't solve _everything_...." Her stature collapsed slightly as Rika turned to stare at the boy, mouth gaped open slightly. Ooooh, crap! Why did she look so... so confused?! Suddenly, it dawned on him: he'd said something that only 'Takato' would say! Awww, man-- why'd he go and screw himself over like that?! Squeaking out a nervous chortle, he tried to correct his seemingly-fatal error: "Well... that is to say.... Um, what I meant w--"

"AH!! KAZU-KUN!!!"

All eyes turned to focus on the speaker. Low and behold... Angel-Chan had spotted her 'beloved' Kazu-- along with Kenta, Henry... and some other guy. Glasses glittering from either excitement or just the light, the blond ran up and pounced on said boy as though it were the most normal thing in the world. Despite the protests erupting from the visor-bearing lad, she hung on for dear life.

Snorting, Rika regained her composure and stormed toward the group. _'Fighting doesn't solve _everything_... huh?'_ She shook her head. One time-- she'd humor the brown haired girl JUST one time. When Kiyo shouted snide remarks and threats, the redhead glanced over her shoulder and sent a piercing glare toward the nuisances. "I don't feel like messing with maggots like you today...," was all that came from her mouth as she walked off.

So... no fighting? Phew! And here he thought that he was gonna have to step in and TRY to stop the fist fight. Heh... knowing how good of a fighter he was... he'd have probably gotten the worse end of the deal. Chuckling to himself, 'Teko' toddled off after his companions; the only question currently on his mind was... who, exactly, _was_ that guy standing with the others?

"Kiyo-- she's getting away!" Bev spun on her heels, eyes wide. What about the blackmail-- the GOSSIP?! She needed something to spread around the school!

So... they knew some guys, eh? Interesting.... Cocking an eyebrow, the pink haired 'princess' smirked and stated, "Maybe... there's more to those losers than we first thought."

What...? Hitomi blinked and tilted her head to the side. "Meaning...?" she started, glancing back at the redhead's retreating form. Why didn't Kiyo follow them... or something?

Shaking her head, Kiyo turned and swaggered off. An idea was brewing deep within her mind. One that would surely do _much_ more damage than a simple little fight.... Besides, brawls were becoming... rather _boring_.

Why did it have to be him?! Tears streaming down his tanned face, Kazu sent pleading looks toward his companions; they chortled menacingly and ignored his begs for freedom. Darn them! Next time, when they needed help, they'd better not turn to him! HE'D SHUN THEM ALL!

"If it isn't the Tweedle-Dumb brothers and company," murmured a narrow-eyed Rika, fighting to keep her twitching hands inside her coat pockets. If she were to take them out... those idiots would probably never see the light of a new day. Oh, yeah... her nerves were shot.

Kenta huffed, giving the redhead a much-needed dirty look. Why was she so mean?! And how could Takato actually LIKE her?! He glanced around slowly; and he noted the food-obsessive girl who'd stolen most of his sandwich the other day. A grin flashed onto his face. Sure, she was maybe one or two years younger... but she was cute. "Howdy!" The girl blinked... then asked-- _rather_ loudly-- who he was....

The two groups grew silent for a moment.... It was an awkward, lingering silence that gave Takato the chance to study the new guy in the group. Black... seemed to be his _'thing.'_ Black hair, short and messy, was pushed back by a headband of the same color. His dark t-shirt portrayed his twisted sense of humor, one could suppose ('_I'm never alone-- the voices in my head keep me company_'); and his baggy jeans and tennis shoes were-- of course-- black. Who... was he? The boy-- with his over-the-top impersonation of a girl's voice-- decided to ask his question aloud.

Kazu, who had finally been released from Angel-Chan's death-like grip, jerked a finger toward the boy in black with a grin. "This, my friend, is DC-- don't ask me his real name, 'cause he doesn't pass it out. He's a Digimon freak who collects cards and even writes fanfiction!" Heck, yeah! Another person to do battle with! Although they'd just met the guy... Kazu wondered just how good of a deck he had-- not that it mattered, anyway. He was just trying to check out the competition.

The boy stared at Takato for a moment... before shifting the weight of his seemingly-heavy backpack onto his other shoulder. Winking, he proclaimed, "Well, then, lovely lady! Now that you know my name, it's only fair to give me yours!"

Epp...! Did he just...? The boy mechanically swerved his wigged head back and forth... hoping and praying that the new guy was talking to someone else. Nope... his gleeful eyes were trained onto 'Teko.' Dangit!! How on Earth could someone possibly think that he-- a boy merely DRESSED as a girl-- was cute?! _'Better comply... for now,'_ Takato told himself wearily. With a forced smile, the poor boy stammered out, "T-Teko...."

"Teko, huh?" DC practiced the name for a moment. He just had to get the feel for it, ya know? If the name sounded funny to his tongue, he'd more than likely create a nickname of some kind. Finally, "That's a really pretty name!" An annoyingly loud chortle burst out from behind him... as if it was _in _his _backpack_; ramming his elbow into his sack, he cracked a wavering smirk.

Holy crap! It... how could _that _have happened?! Kazu and Kenta stared in complete and utter shock, jaws nearly scrapping against the dirt-covered floor. The super-cool guy they'd met merely hours before... was taking a liking to Takato! The two sniggered silently. What a way to punish the poor, cross-dressing boy! Their brown haired friend shot them a warning glare; they merely shrugged. Hey, if Kazu was gonna get chased by a crazy girl, Takato could at LEAST put up with some romantic hints from some guy...!

Okay-- so maybe it was a _little_ degrading....

"So... anyway, what are you guys doing here?" Henry asked, hoping to change the already-odd subject. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.... He was seriously beginning to have second thoughts about operation 'dress-Takato-up-as-a-girl-and-send-him-to-an-all-girl's-school.' ...don't ask-- it was Kazu's job to name it!

Sooo cute! Clasping her hands together, Angel-Chan leaned toward Kazu; she batted her eyes playfully. Had to send him hints! Who cared if he seemed scared... or annoyed... or _both_? "We," she softly whispered (mostly to Kazu), "were just shopping...!"

What?! "I thought we were gonna eat!" whined Squirtle-girl. No food? But... but they were planning on where to eat just before.... A growl escaped the girl's throat. Either she was allowed to eat, or she'd tell their mother!! Hehehe... those were the perks when you're the youngest!

Before anyone could answer-- then again... Rika looked more like she wanted to _pound_ someone-- a glass roof shattered!

**_KRR-SHAAAKK!!!_**

Chaos ensued.

"What the...?" Angel-Chan watched on, oblivious of the fleeing shoppers, as a... a strange, dark creature hovered down from the sky! Oh, God... what _was _it?! It looked like.... Her face turned pale; and her glasses fell down her nose. Rasped she, "D-Demon...!" Seconds later... she fainted.

Instead of hitting the ground with a _thunk_... Kazu had instinctively rushed forward to catch her. Yes, he felt _slightly _obligated... but she'd never know that, right? Tossing his head to the right, he shouted, "It's a Devimon!"

Adrenaline pumped and surged through her veins. A digimon! Slight fear tugged at her heart, but she pushed it aside. Who cared if it was the de-evolution of IceDevimon... the one that almost.... Rika shook her head fervently and whipped out her D-Arc. "Let's go, Renamon," she murmured-- low enough for only her partner to hear. A sickingly thrilled grin pervaded upon her face... until she realized that Renamon had not appeared. Aghast, she glanced about: Brainiac was lacking his smart-mouthed partner... and no other tamer could be seen! _'Sh-shoot...,'_ she cursed silently, _'what do I do...?'_

Takato squeezed the object in his pocket tightly, not that it would do him any good. First of all, Guilmon was at the park... probably sleeping or stuffing his face full of bread. Secondly... at the moment, he was Teko. If Rika were to see him fight with Guilmon... she'd know right away! Sweat ran down his back as helplessness engulfed him.

A smirk. With glowing red eyes, the Digimon declared, "Puny humans...! Darkness shall engulf your world!" There was a surge of energy, and some of the lights shattered. Squirtle-girl covered her head (while musing how cool real Digimon looked) with Kenta standing guard. "Allow the darkness to consume you...."

"No, thanks!"

DC took a daring step forward. No! Didn't he know how dangerous it was? Takato... well, I COULD type 'Teko,' ran over to the black-clad boy. "You _can't _fight that thing!" he insisted, playing the ever-impressive role of 'damsel in distress.' Sure, think what you may-- Takato was just a very kind-hearted person who _didn't_ exactly like seeing people risk their lives when the odds were against them!

Suddenly... a head popped out of the boy's large, bulky sack. Low and behold, it was a BlackTerriermon! "Don't worry, girlie!" he quipped hyperly. With a quick flap of his enormously long ears, he landed on his partner's arm. "Moumentai! Right, DC?"

The boy ginned a toothy grin and yanked out his D-Arc. This sucker was about to pay... big time!

"Right!"

A/N: I'm BAAAAAACK! Hope you enjoyed this chappy-- it's slightly longer than the others, ya know! I'm still interested in ideas for later chapters! [chuckles] I especially liked the whole bathroom idea. Originally, I planned on ending this chapter with that, but I wanted to give it a little more of an action-y edge.

You guys remember Kiyo, Bev, and Hitomi... right? If not, go read the first chapter again! [sighs] Yes... DC has made an appearance!! Anyone else care to pop in? Just ask! (The idea for DC actually came to me one day... strange, eh?) My e-mail list is still growing! If you've changed your mail or want to be added, tell meeee! And expect an update for 'Fated' soon! I know, [gasp!] 'Fated' is ending?! The epilogue is about to be readable? ABOUT DARN TIME! Heh... don't hate me! So, I hope to get more things out more often, especially after graduation. Until the next chapter, minna!--Angel-Chan (See the little button-thing in the corner? Click it! Then, click the Review part! Leave me something really nice... and I'll update faster! -)


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